Cold-Fashioned Winter Fun

If chilly winter weekends have your family floundering for things to do, you may be ripe for a trip back in time. Past generations found plenty of creative ways to pass the time; unplug for a day and choose one of these 10 tried-and-true recipes for family fun.

Go stargazing.

Go stargazing.

Winter means nightfall starts earlier in the evening, so you can stargaze without sweating bedtime for the little ones. Wrap yourself in blankets and cuddle together on lawn chairs, or bundle up and take an adventuresome night walk in a more remote locale. (Don’t forget your flashlight.) Some easy-to-spot winter constellations are Orion and his dogs Sirius (the brightest star in the winter sky) and Procyon. Also, the Big Dipper shines the brightest during this time of year. If you need some astronomical guidance, a smidge of technology may help: Print out a constellation map at kidsastronomy.com or download a free app, like Planets or SkyView.

Tell tales.

Tell tales.

In many Native North American cultures, people gather around the fire for a time of communal storytelling. Jane Drake, author of The Kids Winter Cottage Book, recommends creating your own fireside experience. Start with a traditional Native American “story stick,” which could be a chopstick, wooden spoon, or a piece of wood your kids decorate with paint or permanent markers. “Whoever holds the stick gets to speak; the others must be quiet,” Drake explains. “My family likes to tell memories around a topic, for example, stories about a special event or person with a birthday. If you’ve had a loss of a pet or a grandparent, you can each share about that loved one. It’s very cathartic.”

To give the night a comical twist, tell a story in true Mad Libs fashion. Drop into a paper bag 10 to 20 random items, such as a bird feather, toilet plunger, and toothbrush. Ask each person to pull out an object, which she will use as the basis for her part of the narrative. The sillier the story, the better.